Andrea McArdle, Billie Holiday & More to Be Inducted Into Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame

The Philadelphia Music Alliance (PMA) today announced that The Roots, Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel, Cinderella, The Trammps, Andrea McArdle, and WOGL air personality Harvey Holiday will be added to the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame as members of its Class of 2015. The new honorees - along with previously announced Billie Holiday - have 16 Grammy Awards and a Tony Award nomination among them. They will be formally inducted together October 26, 2015 during afternoon ceremonies along the Avenue of the Arts and celebrated that evening with a special grand gala event. The PMA will be working in conjunction with Avenue of the Arts, Inc., to make all of its fall events extra special.

"This year we are able to illustrate, through our musically diverse honorees, why Philadelphia has been and continues to be the number one city for extraordinary and award winning talent," said PMA Board Chairman Alan Rubens. "Our inductees, this year, span the musical gamut - from Jazz, Country, Disco, Hip Hop/Neo Soul, Rock, Broadway and radio."

- The Roots, named one of the greatest live bands by Rolling Stone magazine, has become one of the best known and most respected hip-hop acts in the business, winning four Grammys. The legendary Roots Crew now serves as the official house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

- Billie Holiday was considered one of the best and most influential jazz singers of all time. Her autobiography was made into the 1972 film Lady Sings the Blues. In 2000, Billie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

- Ray Benson has been the front man, founder and driving force behind the world-renowned Asleep at the Wheel for over 40 years and has overseen the release of 25 albums and has won nine GRAMMY Awards.

- Cinderella, a glam metal and hard rock band, had a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles in the mid-'80s and sold over 15 million records worldwide. Their music videos were in regular rotation on MTV.

- The Trammps, Disco's most soulful vocal group, recorded one of the true anthems of the time and that genre of music "Disco Inferno." Their album of the same name went gold, and the single earned a Grammy for the multi-platinum Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

- Andrea McArdle is a Broadway star who rocketed to fame in 1977 as Broadway's original "Annie," for which she was the youngest performer ever nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She won both the Theatre World and Outer Critics' Circle Awards for her performance.

- Harvey Holiday, the legendary midday personality on 98.1 WOGL, is celebrating his 50th anniversary behind the microphone. His passion for the music he plays makes him an icon for us all to treasure.

In addition, the PMA is honoring the CAPA Foundation with the Educational Award, a financial donation, for Outstanding Excellence in Arts and Music. The CAPA Foundation is an independent non-profit organization providing sustained support to CAPA High School students by engaging CAPA alumni and parents, the Philadelphia arts community, corporate partners and foundations focused on arts education. The CAPA Foundation was formed in response to a $1.1 million cut in the school's operating budget as a result of the School District of Philadelphia budget crisis.

The PMA also is honoring Frank Giordano with the Platinum Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Philadelphia Music Community. The Platinum Award is given to an individual, organization or company that has been a leader and champion in supporting the music making community in a significant way. Mr. Giordano's contributions to Philadelphia's music community have been significant, including his work with The Philly Pops, and the Philly Youth Orchestra.

The announcements were made during a press reception hosted by the Stratus Rooftop Lounge atop the Hotel Monaco and Live Nation - two of this year's major sponsors.

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